The Opening Ceremony of Matera 2026 Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue will take place in Matera on Friday, 20 March 2026, together with the International Day of Happiness.
The event will unfold in three main moments, moving from the city centre of Matera to the heart of the ancient Sassi districts.
Below are the first details of the opening ceremony schedule.
▲ 5–6.30 PM – Institutional Ceremony | Teatro Duni Construction Site
The Teatro Duni, currently under renovation, will be reinterpreted as a scenic space for the presentation of Matera 2026 Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue, in the presence of representatives of the Italian Government and institutional representatives of the Basilicata Region and the City of Matera.
Scaffolding and stage grids will become part of the set design for musical performances featuring members of the Matera Symphony Orchestra. Projections and light installations will transform the construction site into a striking artistic scenography.
The institutional ceremony will also be screened live in Piazza Vittorio Veneto and broadcast on TRM Network and RAI 3 Basilicata from 5.30 PM to 6.00 PM.
▲ 6.30-7.15 PM – “Construction-Site Event” at the Prefecture Palace
Piazza Vittorio Veneto, with the Prefecture construction site as its backdrop, becomes a crossroads of sounds and performances featuring the Symphony Orchestra and the traditional Bands of the Lucanian towns.
The scaffolding of the Prefecture Palace construction site will also be transformed into a large visual storytelling surface through an artistic installation.
▲7-8.30 PM – Street Event
From Via del Corso to Piazza San Pietro Caveoso, passing through Via Ridola and Via Bruno Buozzi, the urban route comes alive with artists, Conservatory musicians and theatre performers appearing from balconies, turning the street into a sequence of visual and sonic tableaux vivants.
Starting at 8.00 PM, a marching band will walk along Via Bruno Buozzi accompanying the audience along the route, concluding its performance in Piazza San Pietro Caveoso.
▲ 8.45 PM – Laser and Drone Show
Grand finale in Sasso Caveoso with a spectacular light show on the cliffs of the Gravina accompanied by live electronic music.
This will be followed by drone light choreographies illuminating the sky above the Murgia Park. The show will be visible from Via Madonna delle Virtù, Porta Pistola, and from the main viewpoints across the Sassi and the Piano. It will also be streamed live on the YouTube channel of the Matera Basilicata 2019 Foundation.
USEFUL INFORMATION - HOW TO FOLLOW THE CEREMONY LIVE
TGR RAI 3 BASILICATA – TGR will broadcast the live TV coverage of the institutional ceremony from 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM and will then continue with a live streaming on its website from 6:15 PM to 7:15 PM, with further coverage and updates throughout the different editions of the news bulletin. (Italian language only)
TRM – On TRM, the live broadcast will be on air non-stop on Friday 20 March from 2:00 PM until the end of the opening day, on the TRM h24 channel. (Italian language only)
YOUTUBE - The laser and drone show will also be streamed on the Youtube channel of the Matera Basilicata 2019 Foundation at 8:45 PM.
